Kneeler accessory for a chair



1957 B. w. HENRIKSON ETAL 2,777,505

KNEELER ACCESSORY FOR A CHAIR filed Feb. 8, 1954 2 Shee ts- Sheet l INVENTORS .Bror B .Ilnriiison "Qlliez z 'aqminloom ATTORNEY Jan. 15, 1957 B. w. HENRIKSON ETAL KNEELER ACCESSORY FOR A CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1954 I N VE NTORS .Bror WHehrilison 'JBelgjamin J JMIQMd/JM ATTORNEY KNEELER ACCESSORY FOR A CHAIR Bror W. Henrikson and Benjamin J. 00111, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 8, 1954, Serial No. 408,742

3 Claims. (Cl. 155-166) The present invention relates to chairs and more particularly to a kneeler accessory adapted for attachment to chairs.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an accessory especially adapted for attachment to chairs of the folding or portable type used in places of worship, the accessory being intended for use as a kneeler by the occupant of a chair disposed rcarwardly of the chair to which the accessory is attached; to provide such a kneeler accessory which may be quickly and easily attached to or detached from such a chair; to provide such a kneeler accessory which when attached to a chair may be swung to a lowered position for use as a kneeler or to a raised position out of the way; to provide such a kneeler accessory having cushioning means whereby the accessory is quietly stopped in its lowered and raised positions; and in general to provide such a kneeler accessory which is convenient in use, reasonably economical in manufacture and attractive in appearance. a

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompany drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a rear perspective view of a folding chair having the new kneeler accessory attached to the rear thereof and swung to a lowered position for use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View of parts thereof taken on line 2-2 of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is a rear perspective view similar to Figure 1 and showing the kneeler accessory in a raised position of non-use.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the folding chair there shown is of more or less conventional type comprising a tubular metal front frame forming spaced front legs 10 and a backrest support 11, a backrest 12 mounted on the backrest support 11, upstanding tubular metal rear legs 13 hingedly connected at 14 to the front legs 10, a seat 15 having suitable folding chair connections to the front and rear legs, a tiebar 16 connecting the front legs 10, a tiebar 17 connecting the rear legs 13 extremity 23 of the rod section 21 is turned laterally outwardly. The upperor rearward rod section 24 of each frame 19 has an upstanding leg portion 25 as viewed in'Figure Z, a laterally outwardly turned lower extremity 26 welded to the corresponding extremity of the rod section 21 to form a foot, a horizontal kneeler bar supporting portion 27 to which the kneeler bar 20 is secured by means of rivets 28, and a downwardly turned forward portion 29 secured by welding to the rod section 21.

Each frames foot, constituted by the welded-together lower extremities 23, 26 (as seen in Figure 2) of the rod sections 21, 24, is provided with an annular rubber cushioning element 30 encircling said extremities 23, 26.

The accessory is both removably and pivotally attached to the chairs tierod 18 by hooking the hook portions 22 of the horizontally spaced frames 19 over said tierod as illustrated. In the lowered position of the accessory shown in Figures 1 and 2 the frames 19 extend rearwardly from the tiebar 18 into contact with the floor and support the kneeler bar 20 in a horizontal position for use by the occupant of a chair disposed in the rear of the chair shown. In the raised position of the accessory the frames 19 extend upwardly from the tiebar 18 at the seat level of the chair, and a tiebar 18 connecting the rear legs 13 at a point slightly above the lower extremities of the rear legs. 1

The new kneeler accessory generallycomprises a pair of horizontally spaced frames indicated by the numeral 19 and a kneeler bar 20 secured thereto and supported thereby. The frames 19 are preferably fabricated of rod stock, and each frame comprises two sections of such stock. As seen in Figure 2 the lower or forward section of rod stock, designated 21, has one of its ends bent to form a hook portion 22 adapted to hook over the chairs tiebar 18. The hook is formed so that its mouth is slightly smaller than the diameter of the tiebar 18 so that the hook may be sprung onto, and thereafter removably retained on said tiebar.

In the lowered position of the kneeler accessory seen in Figures 1 and 2, the main body of the rod section 21 extends rearwardly-downwardly from its book portion 22 attached to the tiebar 18, and the lower rearwardmost and support the kneeler bar 20 in a raised position of non-use between the rear legs 13 of the chair. In this raised position the outwardly extending feet of the frames 19 contact the rear legs 13 to limit the raising movement of the accessory. The rubber cushioning elements 30 of the feet insure quiet contact of the feet with the rear legs 13 when the accessory is raised, and also insure quiet contact of the feet with the floor when the accessory is lowered.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a quiet, convenient, sturdy, and economical kneeler accessory for a folding chair or the like, and while but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A kneeler accessory for a chair having spaced upstanding rear legs connected by a horizontally disposed tiebar above the lower extremities of said legs, said accessory comprising a pair of horizontally spaced frames, a kneeler bar having its opposite ends secured to said frames respectively, said frames being adapted for pivotal attachment to said tiebar whereby the frames and the kneeler bar may be swung in union about the tiebar to a lowered position wherein the frames extend rearwardly from the tiebar into contact with the floor and I support the kneeler bar in a horizontal position of use, and to a raised position wherein the frames extend upwardly from the tiebar and support the kneeler bar in a raised position of non-use between the rear legs of the chair, and laterally outwardly extending feet on the frames adapted to contact the rear legs of the chair to limit the raising movement of the accessory.

2. A kneeler accessory according to claim 1 characterized by having cushioning elements on said feet adapted to contact the floor in the lowered position of the accessory and adapted to contact the rear legs of the chair in the raised position of the accessory.

3. A kneeler accessory according to claim 1 characterized by having each of said frames comprises of rod stock fabricated to form a hook portion adapted for pivotal attachment to the tiebar, a main body extending rearwardly-downwardly from said hook portion in the lowered use position of the accessory, a leg portion extending up wardly from the lower rearward end of said main body in the use position of the accessory, and a kneeler bar supporting portion extending forwardly from the upper Patented Jan. 15, 1957 3 end of said leg portion and into engagement with said 601,021 mainbody in said use position-of the accessory, 1,653,469 1,663,603 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATEN'IS 6 813 0,7 5 Tut c Hm-F. Defi- 12, 1.8.93 439,974

544,112 ONeil Aug. 6, 1895.

4 Kennedy Mar. 22, 1898 Perron Dec. 20, 1927 Maude Mar. 27, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1911 Canada Ian. 27, 1953 

